The playwright, Ms. Valantina Abu Oqsa from Palestine is the 2012 laureate of the Etel Adnan Award. The award was established by The Al Madina Theatre in Lebanon and Riksteatern (the National Touring Theatre) in Sweden in order to promote Arabic literature and drama by women writers in the Arab region, and to disseminate their work around the world. Ms. Abu Oqsa receives the award for her play “Ana hurra” (I am Free).

From jury’s motivation:The play “I am Free” by Valantina Abu Oqsa, was chosen by our jury for the third Ethel Adnan Award because it deals with a deep wound, which is Palestine. The text is poignant, real and cruel; it is actually a dramatic political statement. Her mesmerizing language, her fully realized characters with such unusual depth, and her original take on a theme of supreme importance is and should be the envy by all playwrights regardless of taste, class, gender and ethnicity.

The Lebanese part of the delegation included amongst others Ms. Nidal Al-Achkar, the founder and Excecutive Director of the theatre in Beirut, Ms. Mona Knio, professor at the Department of Communication Arts at the Lebanese American University. The Swedish jury members included Ms. Åsa Sarachu, literature and gender scholar, Ms. Daniela Kullman, playwright and the founder of Teater Scenario in Sweden, Ms. Rawia Mora, poet and author, Mr. Mikael Wranell, dramaturg at Riksteatern, Ms. Yael Feiler, professor in the theatre sciences, and Ms. Diane Bimont, dramaturg.

The award consisting of USD 5000 and a gift was presented by Ms. Nidal Al-Achkar, Ms. Mona Knio, and Ms. Birgitta Englin (the Executive Director of Riksteatern). Present on stage was also the 2011 laureate of the Etel Adnan Award, the playwright, actress and dancer Ms. Lana Nasser from Jordan. She received the award last year for her play”In the Lost and Found: Red Suitcase”, which will be staged for the public in Stockholm. Valèrie CACHARD won the 2010 award and Lana NASSER won the award in 2011.

The award consisting of USD 5000 and a gift was presented by Ms. Nidal Al-Achkar, Ms. Mona Knio, and Ms. Birgitta Englin (the Executive Director of Riksteatern). Present on stage was also the 2011 laureate of the Etel Adnan Award, the playwright, actress and dancer Ms. Lana Nasser from Jordan. She received the award last year for her play”In the Lost and Found: Red Suitcase”, which will be staged for the public in Stockholm.

The Etel Adnan Award was delivered during the ongoing event, Women Playwrights International Conference. It is organized by the network WPI (Women Playwrights International) and Riksteatern, in collaboration with the Al Madina Theatre in Beirut and the Al-Harah Theatre in the West Bank. This year’s conference takes place at Södra Teatern in Stockholm, Sweden. The award which was granted for the final time was established in 2010 in the honor of the Lebanese-American author, poet and visual artist Etel Adnan.

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